Southern Fried Whiting Fish
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Southern Fried Whiting Fish —tender whiting fillets pan-fried until crisp and seasoned with a blend of dill, lemon pepper, and garlic.
Southern fried whiting fish is a fish-fry staple in Baltimore. While lake trout is the name used locally for this fish, it’s actually just whiting. Lake trout (whiting) is either purchased deep-fried from popular takeout spots or fresh from a few seafood shops. Most people buy whiting frozen because it’s cheaper and almost always accessible at any grocer. It’s definitely my favorite fish to fry at home. It seasons well, flaky, and a nice tender fish. And man does it fry beautifully.
What you need to fry whiting fish
Whiting fillets
All-purpose flour
Lemon pepper
Salt
Dried dill
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Canola oil for frying
Southern Fried Whiting Fish without Cornmeal
While cornmeal does provide a nice crunch and certainly has a high place in fish frying, it’s not essential for a crisp fish. Well-seasoned flour and the right frying temperature will render a beautiful piece of fish.
How to make southern fried whiting
Season the fish with a blend of lemon pepper, salt, dried dill, garlic powder, and black pepper. Sprinkle the fillets with half of the seasoning. Mix the remaining spice into the flour.
Dredge the seasoned fish in the seasoned flour and set it on a tray to rest while the oil heats. Heat about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of canola oil in a cast-iron skillet to 325 degrees. Pan-fry the fish on both sides until golden and crispy.
Adjust the temperature to maintain 325 as needed. Drain the fish on paper towels or a wire rack. Serve immediately.
Recipes to serve with fried whiting fish
Serve the fish hot with lemon wedges and Erik’s Remoulade Sauce! A side of Spicy Collard Greens and some Southern Potato Salad would make this meal just like a down-home fish fry.
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*This recipe was updated on 8/29/2020 for improved content. It was first published on 8/28/2019.*
Southern Fried Whiting Fish
Ingredients
- 2 lb whiting fillets 6-8 fillets
- 1 1/3 c all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp lemon pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- canola oil for frying
Instructions
- In a small bowl blend together lemon pepper, salt, dried dill, garlic powder, and black pepper. Pat the whiting fillets dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the fillets with a third of the seasoning. Mix the remaining spice into the flour.
- Dredge the seasoned fish in the seasoned flour and set it on a tray to rest while the oil heats.
- Heat about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of canola oil in a cast-iron skillet to 325 degrees. Pan-fry the fish on both sides until golden and crispy. Adjust the temperature to maintain 325 as needed. Drain the fish on paper towels or a wire rack. Serve hot with lemon wedges and Erik’s Remoulade Sauce!
While we eat whiting in baltimore, it is not the fish that we commonly call lake trout, that is a different type of fish all together. It is actually know in other places as silver hake. However, lake trout is a real fish as well.
Yeah, most sub shops and carry-outs in the city serve whiting as lake trout. You can’t find a spot in the city that sells real lake trout. If you know of a place, please let me know! 🙂